Formula 1 announced a five-year deal with Apple on Friday, which will be the U.S. broadcast partner of the global motorsport series starting next season.
ESPN had been the broadcast partner since 2018 and despite F1’s explosion in popularity in the United States, but informed the series earlier this year that it would not extend its deal.
At the same time, Apple was working on the “F1 The Movie” series, an original film released internationally in theaters and IMAX in June. It will make its global streaming debut on Apple TV in December and has already grossed nearly $630 million worldwide, both the most successful sports film in history and the highest-grossing of Brad Pitt’s career.
This relationship made Apple the favorite to land the broadcast rights in the United States. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“I feel like I’m on the podium, it’s incredible,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services. “Our vision for Apple TV: We wanted to bring customers the best story told by the most creative storytellers. We launched in 2019, we started with nine original series, and we now have a comprehensive library of over 300 shows and movies and thousands of hours.
“And everyone on Apple TV in the US will now have access to Formula 1,” he added. “They will have everything Formula 1 has to offer.”
Apple plans to stream F1 on Apple TV and amplify the series on Apple News, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Sports and Apple Fitness+. Apple TV will also host all practices, qualifying, sprint sessions and races.
Select races and all practice sessions throughout the season will also be available to watch for free in the Apple TV app. F1 TV Premium, F1’s premier content offering, will continue to be available in the United States through an Apple TV subscription and will be free for Apple subscribers.
Apple TV is available in more than 100 countries and regions on more than 1 billion screens, including iPhone and other products including PlayStation and Xbox game consoles.
Cue said Apple’s reach would only help grow F1 in the United States, which currently hosts races in Miami, Las Vegas and this weekend in Austin, Texas.
“Of the millions of Apple TV viewers that we have in the United States, we know that many of them are Formula 1 fans, hopefully, and we know that many of them are not yet,” he said. “We’re going to be able to bring (new fans) to the table right away, it’s low-hanging fruit.”
Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1, highlighted the growth potential.
“This is an incredibly exciting partnership for Formula 1 and Apple that will allow us to continue to maximize our growth potential in the United States with the right content and innovative distribution channels,” Domenicali said. “We have a shared vision: to bring this incredible sport to our fans in the United States and attract new fans through live streams, engaging content and a year-round approach to keep them hooked.”
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